diff --git a/hw/vfio/pci.c b/hw/vfio/pci.c
index 4d822b96b5..68ee3ce7dc 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/pci.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/pci.c
@@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@ static void vfio_update_msi(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
     }
 }
 
-static void vfio_pci_load_rom(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
+static bool vfio_pci_load_rom(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
 {
     VFIODevice *vbasedev = &vdev->vbasedev;
     struct vfio_region_info *reg_info = NULL;
@@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ static void vfio_pci_load_rom(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
 
     if (ret != 0) {
         error_report("vfio: Error getting ROM info: %s", strerror(-ret));
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     trace_vfio_pci_load_rom(vbasedev->name, (unsigned long)reg_info->size,
@@ -1053,12 +1053,11 @@ static void vfio_pci_load_rom(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
     vdev->rom_offset = reg_info->offset;
 
     if (!vdev->rom_size) {
-        vdev->rom_read_failed = true;
         error_report("vfio-pci: Cannot read device rom at %s", vbasedev->name);
         error_printf("Device option ROM contents are probably invalid "
                     "(check dmesg).\nSkip option ROM probe with rombar=0, "
                     "or load from file with romfile=\n");
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     vdev->rom = g_malloc(size);
@@ -1114,6 +1113,8 @@ static void vfio_pci_load_rom(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
             data[6] = -csum;
         }
     }
+
+    return true;
 }
 
 /* "Raw" read of underlying config space. */
@@ -1147,7 +1148,7 @@ static uint64_t vfio_rom_read(void *opaque, hwaddr addr, unsigned size)
 
     /* Load the ROM lazily when the guest tries to read it */
     if (unlikely(!vdev->rom && !vdev->rom_read_failed)) {
-        vfio_pci_load_rom(vdev);
+        vdev->rom_read_failed = !vfio_pci_load_rom(vdev);
     }
 
     memcpy(&val, vdev->rom + addr,